Cider-mill



J. MERUIER.

Cider Mill.

Patented Aug. 24,1880.

wITNissEs INVENTOB.

ATTORNEY N-FETERS, PKGTO-UTHOGRAPNER, VIVASNNGTON. u c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN MERGIER, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

CIDER-MILL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 231,439, dated August 24, 1880. Application filed February 19, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN Mnnornn, of Detroit, county of Wayne, State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Cider-Mills; and I hereby declare the followin to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to cider-mills, and more particularly to the pressing mechanism whereby the juice is expressed from the pomace.

In the drawings, Figure l'is a side elevation of a cider-mill embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central section of same.

My invention consists, essentially, in the combination of devices and appliances hereinafter specified, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

A is a cylinder or drum attached to an axle, A. B is a stationary concave located adjacent to the drum A, and firmly secured at its ends to the frame-work of the machine. 0 is a series of anti-friction rollers, forming an endless band, and adapted to travel around the stationary concave as the machine is operated. D is an endless band consisting of separate lags or slats of wood or metal fastened together; and they may be perforated, if desired, for the escape of the juice, or may be sufficiently separated to accomplish the same purpose. E E represent pulleys over which the lags D travel. F is a grating or grinding mechanism, which may or may not be connected with the machine. It is desirable to employ it and to have it geared with the press mechanism, for then if one is run at a greater or less speed the speed of the other is correspondingly varied. It is not essential, however, and the press maybe made and sold entirely independent of the grating-machine.

I do not limit myself to any particular kind of grating mechanism, for any suitable grate or grinder may be employed, such as are usually employed in cider-mills.

G is an apron of fabric, which covers the lags D to prevent escape of pomace. H is a shaft, to which power may be applied to drive the machine.

The drum A may be provided with one or more series of gear-teeth, so as to mesh with one or more pinions, I. A counter-shaft, K, with worm-gearing It It, may be employed to transmit the motion of the drive-shaft H to the drum A.

I do not limit myself to the mechanism here described for deriving motion for the drum, for it maybe accomplished by independent connection with the power-shaft, or by any other suitable gear mechanism; or, if desired, the drum A may have no connection whatever with the driving-power, but be driven entirely by frictional contact with the pomace, as the latter is carried through the machine by the endless band of lags D.

The operation of this device is as follows: The apples having been grated or disintegrated by any suitable means-as, for instance, by the grater Fthe mass is fed to the machine upon the apron G, and is carried by the latter in between the drum A and the concave B. It will be seen that the drum is eccentric with the concave, and that the two gradually approach each other from the point of entrance to the point of discharge of the pomace. As the mass is carried forward the juice is therefore gradually expressed, and is permitted to escape and be drawn off at the opening 1), while the dry pomace is discharged at the pulley E. A scraper, J, may be located adjacent to the pulley E, and, bearing upon the surface of the drum A, will clear the latter of the pomace that might otherwise cling to its surface. The drum A has flanges A which project beyond its periphery and extend over the edges of the lags D. These flanges serve to confine the pomace and prevent it from spreading sidewise, and thus escaping from the action of the press. The pulleys E E are made of polygonal shape, to correspond with the breadth of the lags D, so as to operate to move the band of lags D without slipping beneath the band. The same effect may be produced by making the said pulleys in the nature of sprocket-Wheels, with sprockets made to engage with links or orifices in the band of lags D. Theanti-friction rollerstl move freely as the lags I) move forward, and avoid the frietion that would otherwise ensue if the lags I) were caused to move in direct contact with the concave B.

This machine will operate continuously as fast as the apples are grated, and with moderate power. It consequently avoids the neces sity of having the pomaee stand some time after it is made aml before expressing the juice.

Itis well known that the cider will be more or less cloudy and tainted if the apples are permitted to stand even a very little while after grinding and before pressing. This feature of continuous operation is therefore a valuable one in the machine, as it saves both the time, ex pense, and deterioration which exist with machines which necessitate the formation of cheeses.

Instead of the lags and the drum being both driven, either one may be driven and the other move by frictional contact with the pomace. So, also, if desired, the concave I may consist of or be provided with stationary antifriction rollers instead of employing the endless travelingband of anti-friction rollers; but the construction shown is believed to be better, as its motion constantly comes forward and discharges from the concave any pomaee that might otherwise work through and clog the rollers.

What I claim is- 1. In a cider-mill, the combination, with a drnn1,of a stationary concave arranged eccentrically to the periphery of the drum to form a graduallycontracted space between the concave and drum, and an endless movable band of lags interposed between the drum and concave, substantially as set forth.

2. In a cider-mill, the combination, with a drum, of a stationary concave arranged eccentrically to the periphery of the drum, and extending partially around the latter to form a gradually-contracted space between the eoncave and drum, an endless belt or band of roll- 5 ers surrounding the concave, and an endless movable band of lags interposed between the concave and drum, substantially as set forth.

I In a cider-mil], the combination, with a drum, of a stationary concave arranged eccentrically to the periphery of the drum, and extending partially around the latter to form a gradually-contracted space between the concave aml drum, aml an endless belt of lags provided on one side with a covering of fabric, which belt is interposed between the drum and concave, substantially as set forth.

4. In a cider-mill, the combination, with a drum, of a stationary concave arranged eccentrically to the periphery of the drum, and extending partly around the latter to form a graduallycontracted space between the drum and concave, a series of anti-friction rollers encircling the concave, and an endless belt of lags provided on one ide with a covering of fabric, said belt being interposed between the drum and series of anti-friction rollers, substantially as set forth.

5. In a cider-mill, the combination, with a drum provided with side flanges, ot' a concave arranged cccentrically to the drum and an endless belt of lags interposed between the drum and the concave, substantially as set forth.

6. In a cider-mill, the combination, with a drum provided with side flanges, of a concave arranged eccentrically to the drum, a series of anti-friction rollers supported on said concave, and an endless belt of lags interposed between the anti-friction rollers and drum, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN MERGIER.

Witnesses:

WILL. M. PORTER, S. I). 'lnoMAs. 

